Rain
by Hotaru's Scythe
Summary: A story in which Rei learns again that life simply isn't fair. She's gone. She's a memory.


_This story jumps around a bit in the timeline, but it should be easy enough to follow_

* * *

And in the end it wasn't far, Rei thought, but really, when was anything in her life _fair_?

When had anything ever been fair for Rei Hino? She couldn't even remember a time she was so naive.

* * *

It was raining. Rei hated rain. She wasn't exactly sure why, considering how very necessary and life giving it was, but she still hated it. For instance, Rei didn't have a bad memory associated with rain, she just hated it. She supposed the rain doused out her hypothetical flame that seemed to roar inside her at all times, but that was just her being silly and maybe a tad bit poetic like one of those godawful books Minako read.

Speaking of Minako...

Looking at her clock she couldn't figure out why Minako hadn't called yet.

It started as a joke, a way of them mocking Usagi and Mamoru's antics. Antics in which Mamoru would be horrified to learn Usagi told her friends. The Prince and Princess often played a game with each other on the phone, according to Usagi. It was to see who could say 'I love you' more when they were away from each other (which was less and less now since they had gotten married). Rei had fake gagged when she heard the tale but Minako had giggled like the schoolgirl she no longer was. And so it started between Minako and Rei that one would call the other every night and they would say 'I love you' until they just couldn't stand the forced sugary-ness of it anymore. As time passed, however, this joke developed into something more, and as their relationship changed so did the game. It became very real, something Rei would have never think would happen.

So the two young women, every night, without fail would speak to one another on the phone and see who could say those three little words more before one of them conceded to defeat and to sleep.

It was now 12:13AM and Rei needed to head to bed, yet Minako had not called. Biting on her bottom lip Rei suddenly felt very silly. Was she up at this unusually late hour subconsciously waiting for Minako _to _call? It was probably likely.

"Minako always calls..." Rei drifted off as she walked over to her hot red corded phone and began to dail the oh-too familiar number.

Okay, this _one _time she would call.

_Hi! You've reached Minako Aino's residence and this is Minako! I'm not -_

the voice mail chippered on.

"That's...unusual," Rei admitted with a sinking feeling filling her gut that she did her very best to ignore. "Maybe she's out with a friend?" Rei wondered aloud despite knowing fully that all of Minako's friends were her friends as well and they wouldn't go out without her.

_Maybe I should call Usagi, see if she's heard anything, _Rei thought, though she hated calling at such a late hour.

As if by magic at that moment her phone rang. Startled at first Rei dropped the receiver on the floor. Picking it up quickly she reconginzed the number almost instantly. It wasn't Minako. It was Makoto.

"Makoto - "

"Rei," Makoto's voice sounded strained. "You have to come to the hospital."

* * *

The storm clouds above were interrupting the lovely, sunny day. Fitting, Rei thought as she walked down the same old pathway to a particular spot. This wasn't a happy day. No day since then was. Tucked in her hands was a bouquet of flowers. Pretty yellow roses.

She would like the flowers.

* * *

When Rei arrived at the hospital she was nearly bulldozed down by Usagi who had somehow gotten there first. Usagi held her tightly as the blonde freely let tears fall from her eyes. Her pregnant stomach pushed against Rei's flat one.

Looking back from where Usagi had darted from she saw Makoto and Mamoru there at a set of chairs looking forlorn. No one else was there yet.

Pulling away from Usagi so she could see her face, "Usagi-Chan, don't worry, Makoto said that Minako was - "

"She's gotten worse," Usagi interrupted, tears still alight in her enormously blue eyes.

Rei stilled, and looked over to Mamoru and Makoto, hoping they'd say otherwise. Mamoru let out a sigh.

"They've discovered internal bleeding. The blood loss has made her slip out of consciousness. They are trying their best."

"I need to see her," Rei spoke suddenly, pulling away from Usagi's wanting arms and rushing past Makoto and Mamoru who tried to stop her.

* * *

Reaching the spot Rei handed off the yellow pale roses and put on a strained smile. She knew she would appreciate the gesture. She felt that she did. "Just stopping by," she spoke, glancing around the abandoned area. "There isn't much else to do..."

Above, thunder rolled.

Glancing skyward, "I hate rain," Rei muttered. "You know...it rained when - well, you know when."

Silence in return. "I think I'll stay for a little while."

* * *

This was like something out of a nightmare, but all nightmares end.

Rei watched as Minako's chest rose and fell almost mechanically with the help of life support.

She could almost pass off for sleeping. _Almost_.

Rei, at her side reached for her hand and stroked the soft skin there. She had insisted on being there despite the doctors and nurses original reluctance. Rei, as always, got her way. She wanted to be there when Minako woke up.

Pulling up a chair that sat in the corner, Rei took a seat next to the bed. She grimaced as the chair noisily slid across the floor, then looked up hopefully praying that the noise had stirred Minako from her unconsciousness. When not even an eye fluttered Rei sighed.

She studied her secret lover's face. It was a bit bruised, and there were clear marks all over from which she was sure blood and spewed that had now been sown up. An eye was black and there was a large rising underneath her beautiful golden hair.

The accident had been bad. Very bad. But she would pull through.

She was after all, Minako Aino. The strongest person Rei knew.

"Rei-Chan," a voice called from behind Rei. She turned around in her seat to see Ami standing at the entrance. Her hands clasped together as if in silent prayer.

"Ami," Rei gave her a weak smile.

"I just got here," Ami clarified. "I wanted to see her,"

"She'll be fine," Rei said with stubbornness in her voice to combat Ami's melancholy. "She's just a little banged up, she'll -"

"I heard the surgery they preformed wasn't successful in ceasing the bleeding. They are scheduled to do another one soon, Makoto says."

With her eyes firmly on Minako, "Who else is here?"

"Usagi, Mamoru, Hotaru, and Setsuna. No one is sure where Michiru and Haruka are. They really should come - "

"They'll see her later." Rei cut in. Adding sharply, "When she's out of here."

She felt more than heard Ami sigh. "Rei, you need to understand that - "

A piercing sound filled the room from the contraptions that sat near Minako's bedside. Instantly the doctor and nurse were in the room and one began to push Ami and Rei out.

"What's going on?" Rei asked. "What's going on?!" She repeated as the completely pushed her outside of the room. "Ami, what's going on?" she asked despretely trying to make her way back into the room only to be blocked. "Ami?" her voice was growing in desperation as she heard the muffled, hurried voices of the doctor and nurses, and saw the tears beginning to feel Ami's eyes. Without a word Ami ran to the waiting room. "**AMI**!"

* * *

Keep breathing.

Keep breathing.

Keep -

* * *

The rain had now begun to fall, lightly at first, but soon enough it was pouring down. Yet Rei didn't move. She stood there, staring at the cold stone. "I hate rain," she told it. She told her.

H_ere lies Minako Aino_

_one of a kind _

was all the tombstone said in return in Rei's admittance of her hate.

Cardiac arrest from numerous uncontrollable hemorrhages. Source of trauma? A car crash on the interstate; killed by a drunken driver.

"You weren't supposed to die," Rei stated to the silent tombstone. Her tears were beginning to mix with the rain. "Not yet...not..." Wiping the rain and tears from her face so she could actually see a bit, "We didn't even get the chance to tell everyone about _us_. You never got to see Chibiusa. We never got the chance to have our own kids."

Looking up at the sky, "It's not fair!" she yelled to no one in particular. Maybe to the heavens, maybe to Minako who resided there, she wasn't sure.

"It's not...but since when has life ever been fair to me?" She wasn't the Princess after all, and she was guaranteed no Miracle Romance that would last eons.

She was just Rei.

But that had been good enough for Minako.

Time passed, what seemed like forever. Eventually, the new leader of the Inner Senshi finally left the graveyard, leaving her rain soaked roses behind. They were placed sweetly and carefully against the coldness of the tombstone of her former lover.

She walked home in the pouring rain refusing a ride from a man in a car who had slowed down to speak to her and ask her if she was okay. She had nodded and forced a smile on her lips. She watched in the rain as he drove away.

Wiping the rain from her eyes she continued.

Rei hated rain.


End file.
